


Out with a Bang

by Athexreh



Category: The Blackrock Chronicle - Fandom, The Yogscast
Genre: Darkest Timeline, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, The Blackrock Chronicle - Fandom - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27718660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athexreh/pseuds/Athexreh
Summary: Just a little what-if drabble after the events of The Nuke if Zoey hadn't gotten quite so lucky.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Out with a Bang

**Author's Note:**

> Just something that's been floating around in my head for a long time. Hopefully it's halfway decent.

Rythian sneered, his hand drumming on the hilt of his blade. “I said I wasn’t interested.” He returned his attention to the ruins of his home and kicked through a pile of warped computer parts and what looked to be the left half of the kitchen sink.

“You’re joking, right?” Xephos said, a note of hysteria creeping into his tone, “I don’t think you heard me; Israphel is back.”

“No, I heard you,” Rythian responded disinterestedly. “But I fail to see how that’s my problem.”

“Not- not your problem? Given the chance he’d destroy everything! The world and we’ve ever worked for.”

For a moment Rythian didn’t say anything. He inched past a smouldering pile of bricks and picked up one of them. Its warmth seeped through his glove and scorched his hand. With an irritated huff he tossed it aside. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” he growled out, gesturing toward the crater, “that everything I’ve worked for is already gone.”

“Yes,” Xephos said in a long, drawn out breath, “Well. Most unfortunate.” He glanced at the spot the castle once stood. “I’m sure you can rebuild.”

Rythian’s laughter hung in the air, bitter and condescending. “After all this you think I’m going to help you?”

“Hey! I had nothing to do with this.”

“No, you just made yourself scarce. Where were you when that bastard put that nuke here, hmm? And don’t give me that line about not knowing; information is your specialty isn’t it? Knowing every little detail about everything that’s going on. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.”  
“That’s just to be sure things run smoothly.”

“Is this what you call smoothly,” Rythian spat out, hands balling into fists, “or is this just collateral damage?”

“It’s not like that,” he interrupted, taking a small step back.

“Then what was it? See me as the lesser threat? ‘Yeah sure let’s just let Duncan plant a nuke under their house. Not like they matter or anything.’ Oh wait, I forgot; when shit happens look who you’re crawling to.”

Xephos let out a low string of curses. “What do you want me to say? Want me to apologize for something I didn’t do? Want me to beg? This is bigger than whatever stupid grudge you’ve been holding onto. We need your help, Rythian.”

Rythian’s eyes narrowed, glowing with an emotion Xephos couldn’t name.

“And, pray tell,” he hissed, enunciating each word with a slow formality, “where were you when we needed you? When that nuke went off, when Zoey...” He took a deep breath and flexed his hand, the image lingering in his mind. The warmth slipping from his fingers. The helplessness as, for the first time, his magic failed him. The silence. The god awful silence.

“We assessed the situation and-”

Eyes blazing, he snarled, “Shut the fuck up. Now.”

“Come now-” Xephos quickly swallowed the rest of that sentence as a blade stopped an inch short of his face. He could feel the murderous intent rising up from the dark steel and the Mage. The ripple of hostility rose up from him in a visible purple haze. In that moment, Xephos knew he had been mistaken; clearly the greater threat-

“I said leave,” Rythian hissed, voice slipping into a warped echo of human speech, “Next time you have the misfortune of seeing me will be your last.”

Holding his hands up, Xephos drew back, a contemptuous look plastered onto his face. “So that’s it then? You’re just going to… abandon us? Abandon everything?”

“I’ve assessed the situation,” he sneered, a humorless smile plastered on his face.

Straightening, Xephos shook his head. He didn’t say anything, but, then again, he didn’t really have to.


End file.
